Dreaming
by centreoftheselights
Summary: Dave and Karkat discuss life, death, and the nature of dreams. Set immediately after Cascade.


"If we shadows have offended,

think but this; and all is mended

that you have but slumbered here

while these visions did appear."

William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream

* * *

><p>TG: i miss dreaming<p>

TG: real dreams

TG: back before this fucking game

TG: when you could actually fall asleep

TG: and be asleep

TG: no dream self

TG: no derse

TG: no horrorterrors in the sky

TG: just

TG: crazy shit

TG: some crazy ridiculous story

TG: that you never even knew where it came from

TG: just appearing all around you

TG: and not even caring

TG: it was all cool

TG: everything making total sense

TG: hey puppet bro

TG: of course ill go with you to the moon

TG: why wouldnt i help you out little dude

TG: and then youd wake up

TG: wondering what all the fuck that meant

TG: well

TG: lalonde said it all meant dicks

TG: but thats just lalonde

TG: but

TG: the best part

TG: the best part was the waking up

TG: and remembering what life was actually like

TG: no crazy puppet bro putting pressure on you about this moon business

TG: just

TG: life

TG: i guess

TG: and

TG: it didnt matter

TG: you could dream anything

TG: something different any night

TG: but it never mattered

TG: you could be whatever you wanted in a dream

TG: whatever the dream wanted

TG: but once you woke up

TG: it made no difference

TG: life kept being the same

TG: lalonde kept saying it all meant dicks

TG: the world wouldnt have ended when you were asleep

TG: i think

TG: i kind of miss that

…

CG: I HAVE LITERALLY NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT.

CG: WHY ARE YOU EVEN TALKING TO ME.

TG: look

TG: im fucking bored

TG: and noone else is answering

TG: so lets you and me talk karkles

CG: WHAT

CG: DONT EVEN

CG: WHY WOULD I EVEN TALK TO YOU ANYWAY.

CG: IM BUSY HERE.

CG: I HAVE LOTS OF THINGS I HAVE TO DO.

CG: IMPORTANT STUFF.

TG: right

TG: thats why you just sat and listened to me for like ten minutes

TG: because you have better stuff to do

CG: I THOUGHT I SHOULD TRY YOUR HUMAN COURTESY.

CG: ALTHOUGH CLEARLY THATS AN ALIEN CONCEPT TO YOU.

TG: im not even going to point out

TG: that an alien

TG: just told me

TG: a human

TG: that human concepts are alien to me

TG: i am merely going to say

TG: that you should give it up

TG: we got out of the session

TG: there are no more imps

TG: nothing is trying to kill us

TG: the time of knights is over bro

TG: now the seers and maids and whatever get to do their shit

TG: while we

TG: are bored

CG: I AM NOT BORED.

TG: really

TG: you should try it

TG: after the last few days

TG: its a fucking relief

CG: IF I WANTED BOREDOM

CG: CLEARLY YOU'RE THE RIGHT PERSON TO TALK TO.

TG: just keep telling yourself that

TG: i know it wont matter

TG: you say youre listening for the boredom

TG: but as long as youre listening

TG: you cannot help but be blinded by the legendary strider wit

CG: LEGENDARY BRILLIANCE.

CG: YOU WERE RAMBLING ABOUT DREAMS.

CG: IVE SEEN MORE COHERENT BLOOD STAINS.

CG: EGBERT'S SALAMANDER IS WITTIER THAN YOU.

TG: whatever

TG: you know im right

TG: dreams were better before

TG: fuck

TG: you know what

TG: i dont have a dream self any more

TG: i resurrected from it

TG: does that mean i dream normally again now

TG: or do i just not dream any more

CG: HOW THE FUCK WOULD I KNOW.

TG: i guess i could fall asleep and find out

TG: but

TG: maybe later

TG: i mean

TG: we still dont know whats going to happen

CG: I DONT RECOMMEND IT

TG: or maybe i should

TG: while nothings happening

TG: because when we arrive

TG: i mean

TG: wherever

TG: i might not get a chance

CG: YOU AREN'T EVEN READING THIS ARE YOU.

TG: i guess

TG: derse has kind of been fucking with us

TG: since forever

TG: lil cal was there

TG: so maybe thats why i kept dreaming of him

TG: and now hes gone

TG: so maybe the dreams will be better

CG: I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ARE THIS IN LOVE WITH YOUR OWN VOICE.

TG: but

TG: perhaps derse has always been messing up my dreams

TG: theyve never been normal ones

TG: and now im going to have normal dreams

TG: right after this game

TG: which is basically some whole crazy trauma jackpot

TG: so

TG: probably not a good thing

CG: LISTEN TO ME YOU EGOTISTICAL BASTARD.

CG: DREAMS ARE FUCKED UP.

TG: like how

CG: HAVE YOU SHUT UP NOW.

CG: BCAUSE I DONT WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER WORD.

TG: this is a conversation

CG: YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

CG: LOOK.

CG: FIRST OF ALL I WASN'T ON PROSPIT.

CG: SO I DON'T KNOW A THING ABOUT DERSE.

CG: AND I DIDN'T ACTUALLY WAKE UP UNTIL FAIRLY LATE.

CG: SO I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT PROSPIT EITHER.

CG: ALL I KNOW IS WHAT ITS LIKE TO HAVE A DEAD DREAM SELF.

CG: AND IN THAT CASE

CG: SLEEP IS A FUCKING TERRIBLE IDEA.

CG: TRUST ME ON THAT.

CG: IS YOUR DREAM SELF DEAD?

TG: …

CG: IT'S NOT THAT HARD A QUESTION.

TG: well

TG: there were like four time loop mes running around

TG: but the last one chronologically got shot

TG: jades bullets noirs space warping

TG: jade kissed me and i woke up on derse

TG: we flew the moon of derse into the furthest ring

TG: and blew it up

TG: but we were on our quest beds

TG: so we ascended i guess

TG: so i guess my dream self is me

TG: and im alive

TG: unless god tier doesnt count

TG: you tell me

CG: THATS RIDICULOUS.

CG: HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO FUCK THIS GAME UP BADLY ENOUGH THAT IT BECAME MORE COMPLICATED THAN IT NORMALLY IS.

CG: GOD TIER COUNTS AS ALIVE DUMBASS.

CG: NO DEAD DREAM SELF.

CG: NO HORRORTERRORS FOR YOU.

CG: EXCEPT IN THE FURTHEST FUCKING RING.

CG: WHICH YOU WILLINGLY CHOSE TO VISIT.

TG: i did what i had to

TG: you know what this game is like

TG: so what does happen

CG: I.

CG: DON'T.

CG: FUCKING.

CG: KNOW.

CG: ITS NOT LIKE ANY OF US MANAGED TO DO ANY OF THAT.

CG: LET ALONE ALL OF IT.

CG: JUST ABOUT ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN.

TG: so im all set for normal dreams

TG: well thats something

CG: LOOK

CG: WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT DREAMS ANYWAY.

CG: IS THIS SOME STUPID HUMAN THING.

CG: IT MAKES NO SENSE SO I'M GUESSING YES.

CG: ITS NOT LIKE THIS GAME HASN'T PROVIDED ENOUGH BLOOD AND DEATH.

CG: DO YOU REALLY NEED MORE WHEN YOU SLEEP.

TG: dude

TG: dreams dont normally have blood and death

TG: well

TG: some dreams dont

TG: i guess most of them

TG: although after this game

TG: probably quite a lot

TG: most of them in fact

CG: RIGHT NOW YOU ARE MAKING PERFECT SENSE.

CG: I AM THRILLED AND AMAZED TO HEAR SUCH LOGICAL THOUGHT PROCESSES RECORDED FOR MY AMUSEMENT.

TG: so you finally grasped the human emotion of sarcasm then

CG: NO.

TG: whatever

TG: human dreams are complicated

TG: what are troll dreams like

CG: TROLLS WHO FALL ASLEEP AWAY FROM SOPOR SLIME DREAM OF UTTER CARNAGE AND DESTRUCTION

CG: WHICH IS WHY YOU SLEEP IN A RECUPERACOON

CG: WHAT STUPID WAY HAVE HUMANS MANAGED TO SCREW THAT UP

TG: humans dream about everything

TG: all kinds of shit

TG: mostly shit that doesnt make sense

TG: but

TG: its a little like waking up your dream self

TG: you fall asleep and youre somewhere else

TG: but it isnt really happening

TG: it cant affect you

TG: dream self cant die

TG: get a new one every night

TG: you just dream youre doing whatever

TG: and when you wake up it doesnt matter

TG: and you can forget all about it

CG: THAT

CG: ISN'T ACTUALLY A TERRIBLE IDEA.

TG: well sometimes it kind of is

TG: you dont get to choose your dreams

TG: sometimes theres all kinds of scary shit

TG: but sometimes

TG: its awesome

CG: SO WHAT DETERMINES THE CONTENT OF THESE VARIABLE DREAMS.

TG: i dont know

TG: whatever youve been thinking of

TG: dicks or whatever

TG: you just have to go to sleep and see

TG: but stuff that you know

TG: like

TG: well

CG: WHAT.

TG: i always used to dream of lil cal

TG: because he was always around

TG: except

TG: i woke up on derse and he was there

TG: right by me

TG: so

TG: what if ive always been dreaming of derse

TG: like jade was always dreaming of prospit

TG: just not realising it

TG: so maybe im not the right person to ask

CG: HOW COULD YOU NOT KNOW WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DREAMING ABOUT.

TG: well dreams

TG: you dont always remember them

TG: the normal ones

TG: you forget things

TG: so maybe i kept forgetting

TG: that it was always the same place

TG: maybe i spent my whole life forgetting

CG: LOOK

CG: WHILE I ADMIT THIS GAME HAS A TENDENCY TO TURN OUT TO HAVE BEEN AFFECTING US FOR FAR LONGER THAN WE BELIEVED POSSIBLE

CG: WOULDN'T YOU HAVE NOTICED.

TG: i dont know

TG: how do you know the same didnt happen to you

TG: you always slept in a recuperacoon

TG: so you didnt dream

TG: maybe

TG: if youd tried it

TG: you would have dreamt of the game

TG: not the blood and death and whatever

CG: I FAIL TO SEE HOW I WOULD HAVE NOTICED THE DIFFERENCE.

TG: oh snap

TG: i bet the universe is reeling from that one

TG: the entire game itself

TG: desperately searching for a comeback

TG: to that sick burn

TG: you should have seen derse man

TG: or prospit or whatever

TG: you would know

TG: it wasnt like the rest of this game

TG: no imps or crazy death

TG: it was

TG: pretty cool

CG: ITS CHEERS ME IMMENSELY TO KNOW THAT THE BEST PART OF THIS GAME IS SOMETHING I WILL NEVER HAVE THE CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE.

TG: hey

TG: dont get snappy

TG: im sure one of your friends could show you prospit

TG: if you visit their dream bubble sometime

CG: WHAT THE FUCK IS A DREAM BUBBLE.

TG: out in the furthest ring

TG: if you dont want to hang with the horrorterrors

TG: there are these dream bubbles

TG: theyre just like human dreams

TG: you think youre in a memory

TG: but when you work it out

TG: you can change what happens

TG: i heard real dreams work like that too

TG: if you know youre dreaming you can control the dream

TG: maybe i should try that

TG: if i ever manage a normal dream

TG: i dont know

TG: maybe i should try it

TG: do you think i can fall asleep in a dream bubble

CG: HOW SHOULD I KNOW.

TG: well

TG: i could try it and see

CG: WHAT.

TG: were in one now

TG: i cant believe that took you so long

CG: WAIT.

CG: I'M DREAMING.

CG: STUPID HUMAN STYLE DREAMS.

CG: SO WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.

TG: you just rolled up to the furthest ring on an asteroid

TG: like half a dozen of you

TG: youd passed out

TG: i dont blame you

TG: there was kind of a lot of blood

CG: FUCK.

CG: I REMEMBER NOW.

CG: SOLLUX.

CG: IS HE OKAY.

TG: he seemed fine to me

CG: OKAY.

CG: GOOD.

TG: i mean

TG: he died

TG: but he knew that was going to happen

TG: and his ghost is pretty cool

CG: FUCK.

CG: THAT IS NOT OKAY.

CG: HE'S DEAD YOU DICK.

CG: HOW IS THAT IN ANY WAY OKAY.

TG: look

TG: take it from me

TG: being dead isnt all that bad

TG: if it doesnt stick

TG: i mean

TG: the dying part sucks

TG: but you dont so much mind the being dead

CG: SAYS THE GUY ON GOD TIER

CG: ITS NOT THE SAME THING

TG: whatever

TG: so you pretty much passed out

TG: and we met up with your friends

TG: and they were all going to try and contact jade and john

TG: but there was a troll chick to handle the time stuff

CG: ARADIA.

CG: BUT.

CG: SHE DIED.

TG: as i keep saying

TG: it didnt stick

TG: shes god tier now

TG: so she and rose are trying to talk to the others

TG: and this glowing girl

CG: KANAYA.

TG: told me to

TG: Keep You Company

TG: and the dead dude

CG: SOLLUX.

TG: said to tell you

TG: get s0me rest n0w

TG: because whenever they talk to jade

TG: some serious shit is going to go down

CG: FUCK.

CG: I HAVE TO WAKE UP.

CG: TELL ME HOW TO GET BACK TO THEM.

TG: no way

TG: they said you need to sleep

CG: STRIDER.

CG: I WILL FUCKING END YOU.

TG: vantas

TG: i dont fucking care

CG: WHAT IS WITH YOU.

CG: I THOUGHT YOU WERE SOME CRAZY COOLKID.

CG: I MEAN.

CG: TEREZI SEEMED TO LIKE YOU.

CG: ALTHOUGH SHE HAS TERRIBLE TASTE.

TG: we both know you are lying right there

CG: I MEAN IN FRIENDS.

CG: OBVIOUSLY SHES PRETTY HOT WITH THE LITERAL FLAVOUR THING.

TG: look

TG: strider is cool

TG: thats just a fact

TG: its a thing that will not ever be not true

TG: but

TG: its been a long day

TG: a long fucking game

TG: and

TG: i fucked it all up

TG: you know the tumour

CG: YES.

CG: I FUCKING CREATED THE TUMOUR.

CG: YOU WERE GOING TO DESTROY THE GREEN SUN WITH IT.

TG: well

TG: that was the plan

TG: turns out

TG: our information wasnt that great

TG: the tumour wasnt just a bomb

TG: it was a bomb fuelled by two universes

TG: our two universes

TG: the ones we come from

TG: but we exploded it anyway

TG: because we thought it would stop jack

TG: destroy his power source

TG: except

TG: we wound up creating it

TG: and afterwards

TG: we were trapped inside it

TG: for quite a long time

TG: i think

TG: maybe a very long time

TG: it was very green

TG: and hot

TG: very very hot

TG: basically

TG: what you would expect

TG: from a green sun

TG: and when we came out again

TG: there were some trolls waiting for us

TG: and then you guys arrived

TG: except

TG: a lot of you were dead already

TG: and youd passed out

TG: and terezi got bitten or something

TG: and shes kind of zoned out all the time now

TG: and the glowing chick only wanted to talk to rose

TG: and the other dude

TG: was weird

TG: like

TG: seriously

TG: and

TG: i kind of needed

TG: to go somewhere else

TG: so i offered to come find you

CG: …

TG: this is the part where you say something

CG: WHY.

CG: WHY COME AND FIND ME.

TG: i dont know

TG: because

TG: i figured

TG: things might be better here

TG: in a dream bubble

TG: whatever

CG: SO.

CG: IF I CAN HAVE WHATEVER DREAMS I WANT HERE.

CG: WHAT KIND OF HUMAN DREAMS ARE THERE.

TG: i dont know

TG: anything

TG: literally the craziest shit you can imagine

TG: i mean

TG: this might all be a dream

TG: for all i know

TG: ill wake up and tell rose and shell have a field day

TG: therell be dicks left right and centre

TG: but

TG: i guess probably it isnt

TG: im not this messed up in the head

TG: i think

TG: probably

TG: but

TG: theres all kinds of dreams

TG: i heard

TG: a lot of people dream of flying

TG: i could fly

TG: on derse

TG: it was fun

CG: I THINK.

CG: MAYBE.

CG: FLYING IS SOMETHING WE COULD DO.

CG: WE COULD FLY.

CG: RIGHT NOW.


End file.
